


Random Worlds

by rudbeckia



Series: Random Worlds [50]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-13 22:11:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12993582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudbeckia/pseuds/rudbeckia
Summary: A collection of holiday themed follow-up fics to end my Random Worlds series.





	1. Time Traveller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set a few months after [ this ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11439009) fic. 
> 
> Ben, the most inept time traveller possible, sees Armitage months after their encounter on Armitage’s narrowboat. Armitage is not happy with his lot in life. Can Ben help?

Ben lurked in a corner and watched the party. Leia looked regal, as always, and Han looked like a scoundrel. He’d refused to shave, claiming that Leia liked him to look just a little bit dangerous, and Leia had laughed while Ben cringed. 

“Ben, come get in the photo,” called Leia, smiling and waving him over. Ben nodded and walked to the small group, where he allowed himself to be positioned then smiled on demand when the photographer called _”sta-a-ay cheesy!”_  
Leia walked behind the camera to see the photographs and pick out the best one for the annual greetings card that went out to all supporters, and the best for framing. She laughed and called across, “Ben, hey Ben? What were you looking at in this shot?” But Ben was not there.

He’d frozen when he saw a flash of red hair and his breath caught in his throat. The man turned and Ben recognised his profile. He was smartly dressed and clean shaven, but this was a face Ben had thought about almost every night since the first time he’d heard the words, _”want to come aboard?”_ and stepped onto the cramped narrowboat the man called home. He walked over, trying not to break into a trot.

“Armitage?” Ben cursed internally. He probably sounded too eager.  
“Ben!” The redhead smiled. “You look very smart. Uh, got any?”  
“What?” Ben frowned.  
“Cake, you idiot!” Armitage laughed. “You know.” He made smoking motions.  
Ben shook his head. “Cake I can get, but that’s all. This is an official _be seen as a happy family_ event and I have to be good.”  
Armitage gaped at Ben. “You’re... you’re Ben _Organa_ Solo! Shit.” He turned and walked away. Ben tried to follow but lost him when Uncle Chewie hauled him into a rib-crushing hug and informed him that there was absolutely no way he was being let out of sight until the paparazzi had gone.

Ben turned to walk back to his family group. He patted Chewie on the arm, looked up and said, “Call of nature. I take it you can trust me to pee on my own?”  
Chewie huffed and nodded, and Ben walked to the washrooms. Inside the relative privacy of a cubicle, he closed his eyes and concentrated until he felt the familiar lurch in his stomach. He smiled and went out the back doors, muttering to the security guard that he only wanted some fresh air and she didn’t need to follow him. He leaned against the stone wall and waited.

There he was. Scrambling out of a taxi at the side of the venue rather than stepping from a limo at the front. Ben sauntered over.  
“Armitage! Hi.”  
“Uh? Ben! What are you doing here?”  
“I came to warn you. This is my second time around. You got a shock and walked away when you found out that my mom is Leia Organa. I wanted to—“  
“Oh fuck I should have know. Ben Solo. Ben fucking _Organa_ Solo.”  
“Yeah that’s pretty much what you said before. Look, she’s my mom. You don’t get to choose your mom so whatever you don’t like about her, don’t blame me.”  
Armitage sighed. “I can’t believe I fucked the teenage son of the enemy. I can’t be seen with you.”  
A bright, blue flash threw sharp shadows on the wall behind them. Quick as a lightning, the security guard yelled at Ben to get inside and launched her pursuit of the photographer. Armitage cursed and pushed Ben away with one hand.  
“I mean it. Stay away.”  
Ben went inside, found a quiet corner and concentrated.

There was the taxi. Ben walked over and got in before Armitage could get out. He passed the driver a generous tip and suggested he circle the block.  
“Ben!” Armitage’s surprise felt odd this time. Ben shrugged.  
“Third time around. You need to know that I’m Ben _Organa_ Solo and I want to know why that’s a problem.”  
Armitage grimaced. “Fucking hell. Ben _Organa_ Solo. Might’ve—“  
“Known. I get it. Why does that make you push me off?”  
“Ugh. Okay. Senator Organa’s policy on the armed forces is the problem.”  
“Why? I mean you’re not enlisted, are you?”  
Armitage angled to face Ben. “You think I live the way I do by choice? Shit, you’re too young and too privileged to see anything ugly, aren’t you. Fine. Listen. I joined up when I was eighteen to get away from my dad. I was out after three years on medical grounds because of PTSD. The services that were supposed to be in place to help people like me were cut because that’s a less visible way of saving money than sacking soldiers. Suddenly I had no job and no home. I didn’t have the cash for a deposit on a flat and all my friends were still in the army so there was no one I could go to. I only have the narrowboat because it was abandoned and the lock-keeper gave me a tenner and asked me to tow it away and dump it somewhere else.”

The car went around the block again before Ben spoke.  
“I had no idea. I’m sorry.”  
Armitage faced front again. “Good for you!”  
Ben scowled and raised his voice a little. “Look, instead of shoving me away, let me help.”  
“How? What can you possibly do? Tell your mom?” Armitage sighed. “People in power make decisions based on balance sheets and ideals. People below them implement those decisions. People like me have to bear the consequences. I’m here to make a point.”  
Armitage closed his mouth and Ben watched his stony expression for a few seconds.  
“What kind of point?”  
“Here’s fine,” Armitage rapped on the perspex between the back seats and the driver. As soon as the car stopped, he got out and walked away. Ben got out too and walked slowly back to the hall. He felt the lurch as soon as he’d decided what to do, and he went inside to find Leia.

 

There he was by the door. Ben walked over and took his elbow, spoke quietly into his ear.  
“Hi Armitage, fourth time around. Please don’t walk away—I’m on your side. I think I worked out what you’re planning but I had a better idea. I got you a personal meeting with Senator Organa to talk about your story. I promise she’s sympathetic, so if you actually want things to change you need to trust me and talk to her. Okay? By the way, she’s my mom and you know shit about her.”  
Armitage shook his head slowly. “Ben—“  
_“fucking Organa Solo,_ I know. Come and meet my mom.”  
“Does she know we... um, the circumstances of our, um...”  
“Yeah, no, I told her you were my pen-pal in the services when I was in high school.”  
Armitage snorted and Ben laughed with relief.

 

Much later, alone for a moment in Leia’s suite, Ben smiled at Armitage. “How do you think it went?”  
“Well,” Armitage sighed. “She could say anything to me then do whatever she wants so I’ll wait and see.”  
“You heard her making calls! Jeez, Armitage, what do you want? A magic wand?”  
Armitage sat in silence. Ben apologised quietly.  
“Okay, that’s set up,” Leia breezed in with an assistant at her heels. “Armitage, I want us to have a real impact before the holiday season gets into full swing. I’ve secured funds for a small network of residential support centres and I need someone to advise on how best to run it. Someone who knows who and what they’re dealing with. I want one up and running by the end of next week. My team will handle the legal stuff, you’ll have to coordinate renovations immediately and act as interim manager until permanent staff can be appointed. Can you handle that?”  
Armitage stared and frowned. “Are you offering me a job?”  
“Yes, I need you!” Leia sat down. “We’ll have to sort out the paperwork on Monday. Ben can bring you to my office in the afternoon and my assistant will have everything ready.”  
Armitage sat dumbfounded for a minute more.  
“You’re actually doing something!”

Leia smiled at Ben and Ben gestured at Armitage that the meeting was over. Armitage’s doubts surfaced quickly.  
“She’s only doing it because—“  
“Who cares! She’s doing it.” Ben took Armitage’s hand and led him down to the party. “You want cake?” Armitage grinned and made smoking motions. Ben laughed and shook his head. “Not here. She’d kill me if I was caught doing anything to bring the family into disrepute. Come on.”  
Ben pulled Armitage across the crowded hall to the buffet table. Armitage paused and Ben felt his arm yanked back. He turned. “What’s wrong?”  
Armitage looked up and grinned. Ben looked up too, then stepped forwards to share a kiss under the mistletoe.


	2. Separation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follows on from [ icicle.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11674095%09)
> 
> Ben and Armitage have moved out of their house into a property split into two flats. But they do get together for special occasions.

Armitage opened the door and laughed. “Happy Christmas, you old bastard!”  
“Same to you, you senile old crone,” replied Ben, stamping his way into Armitage’s little hallway and handing over a box of badly wrapped gifts. “Most of this isn’t for you.”  
“Well thank you anyway.” Armitage carried the box into the living room and set it under the tree. He read the labels on the top few packages, shook them and laughed at the jingling one, and called out a name. “Millie! Millicent!”  
A young ginger cat poked its head around the door, sniffed the air and darted away again.  
Ben shook his head. “I see. Not interested unless there’s food. Just like you. Couldn’t you have given him a better name?”  
“Millicent is a perfectly good name,” insisted Armitage. “Better than your suggestion of _Lord Shreddyclaws the Destroyer of Soft Furnishings.”_  
Ben toed at the frayed carpet. “Suits him, though. I bet you’re just too forgetful to remember a new cat name. Ha! I forgot something, back in a minute.”

Ben went out and trotted upstairs to his own part of the house. They shared a main front door, but the interior door on the left led to Armitage’s downstairs flat and the staircase led up to Ben’s. On viewing it almost a year earlier, it had taken them ten minutes to decide they would buy, and six weeks to move. Armitage’s flat opened onto a small garden while Ben’s had a nicer bathroom so they each thought they had the slightly better deal. 

Ben picked up his Christmas Eve gift for Armitage and took it downstairs. Armitage stood in his living room holding a gift for Ben. They swapped awkwardly. Ben opened his right away and laughed.  
“It’s perfect!” He took off his sweater and pulled on the hoody with Darth Vader on the front and the message _Merry Sithmas._ He pointed at the parcel Armitage was holding. “You going to open that, or are you saving everything for tomorrow morning?”  
Armitage ripped into the paper and pulled out his present. “Shorts. You got me underwear.”  
“Well you need it,” replied Ben. “I’ve seen the state of the ones you hang on the washing line every weekend. Do I need to rummage in your drawers and—”  
“You are not _rummaging in my drawers_ today, sweetie. Keep your hands to yourself.”

Ben laughed at Armitage’s stern expression. “Fine,” he said. “Do you want me to offer to help make dinner, or can I slouch on your sofa while you slave over the oven?”  
“You’re not messing up my kitchen. I pre-ordered turkey biryani for seven-thirty anyway. Want to drink beer and watch a film?”  
“Die Hard?” asked Ben in his best hopeful voice.  
“Of course,” replied Armitage with a smile. He turned on the TV and the film was already set to play.

Armitage settled beside Ben, head on his shoulder and arm warm on his back. They quoted dialogue at each other and laughed at the accents. When dinner arrived, they ate from the containers and watched Millicent’s confusion over whether a dropped chunk of turkey was to be eaten or feared. Afterwards, Armitage took the detritus to the kitchen and returned with two more beers.  
“This is nice,” he said, snuggling back into the crook of Ben’s arm, almost into his lap, and kissing his cheek. Millicent leapt up and settled on Ben’s thigh.  
“Mmhmm. It is.” Ben stroked Millicent and received a playful nip on his fingertips in thanks.  
“You want to stay tonight?” asked Armitage. “Just to sleep, probably. I won’t sulk if you say no.”  
“I didn’t think to bring my PJ’s,” replied Ben. “I could go home and get them.”  
“Nah, it would break the mood,” said Armitage. “Tell you what, I can lend you some new shorts.”

Ben woke up early, as always. He shifted and wrapped his arms around Armitage, accidentally dislodging a disgruntled young cat. Millicent grumbled and walked out of the bedroom. Armitage patted his hand and Ben released his grip so that Armitage could turn round and face him.  
“It must be almost six,” mumbled Armitage. “You getting up? I’ll make some coffee.”  
“No, babe. Sleep in.” Ben kissed Armitage’s forehead. “Merry Christmas.”


	3. Marzipan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sugar daddy Hux AU.
> 
> Kylo and Armitage are planning a vacation. Things do not go to plan, but Kylo is not one to let a minor setback get in his way.

Kylo waited for Armitage by the door. Snow fell in soft, fat lumps that clung and clumped, and Kylo pulled his coat tighter, stuck his hands in his pockets and admired the way the night glowed with soft, pale light. White sky, white ground, white falling through the air and melting on the hood of Kylo’s four-by-four that stood with its engine running.  
Kylo called through the house. “Babe? Come on or we’ll be late!”  
“Phasma’s not here yet!” came a reply from upstairs. “They’re running late because of adverse weather. This is ridiculous! Oh, here they are.”  
Kylo watched as Armitage emerged form the house and Phasma got out of her car and trotted up to meet him on the steps. They exchanged instructions _(She needs three pouches a day/Have fun you miserable sod)_ and Armitage pranced over to Kylo.  
“Have you got my bag?”  
“Yes, everything’s ready.”  
“Well then, said Armitage as he got into the passenger side. “Miami here we come!”

There was no let-up in the snow and despite slow speeds, Kylo drove past many vehicles that had succumbed to skids and bumps. Armitage tutted about bad driving and Kylo worried about being mesmerised by the snowflakes rushing straight towards his eyes then being deflected away and up over the windscreen at the last second.  
“Honey?” Kylo saw a services sign up ahead. “How bad would it be if we didn’t make it to the airport in time?”  
“Ugh let me check our flight,” said Armitage, swiping at his phone. After a minute he cursed.  
“Are we going to miss it?”  
“No. All flights have been cancelled due to ice on the runway. Can you double back at the next exit and take us home?”  
Kylo crept forwards as the tail lights of the car in front moved off. After a few minutes they crawled past another small knot of people shivering and exchanging details by the side of the road.  
“Armie, I think we should pull off into the next services and see if we can get a room for the night.” Kylo risked a glance at Armitage, who stared ahead into the snow. “This is getting dangerous now. There’s a place in about a mile.”  
“Ugh.”  
“I’ll keep driving if you insist, but you’ll have a whole night of _I told you so_ when we end up sleeping in the car.”  
“Damn it!”

 

Armitage shuddered at the plain room with its stark white bedlinen, photocopied artwork and corporate coloured carpet and curtain. Kylo dumped their overnight bags on the single bucket chair and tested the springiness of the mattress. Armitage shook his head sadly. “We could have been in Miami by morning,” he said with a deep sigh, “Do you know what the temperature is there? Seventy. We’d’ve arrived in time for cocktails and an early night local time. We could have got up and walked on the beach before it got hot and had breakfast in the sun.”  
“Mmhmm. But we’re not, and we were lucky to get this room,” replied Kylo. “Anyway, you’d be bitching about sunburn by lunchtime and asleep right after dinner. Cold weather suits you better and your favourite place in the world is at work.”  
Armitage tutted and rolled his eyes, but he did not deny that Kylo was right. “Well then,” he said after a minute. “Where should we plan to go instead? Where’s your favourite place?”  
“Obviously,” said Kylo with a grin, “in bed with my cock in your ass.”  
Armitage hooted with laughter and hit Kylo with a pillow. 

Kylo retaliated and soon they lay on the rumpled bed with Kylo half holding Armitage down and tickling him while he shrieked into a pillow. On one side, TV noise blared. On the other side. someone thumped hard on the wall. Kylo laughed and made loud grunting noises until Armitage begged him to stop. Kylo went to the fake-rustic pub attached to the hotel to see if he could bring food up to the room and he came back with sandwiches, two packets of crisps and a bottle of white wine. Armitage screwed up his face.  
“Is that it?”  
“Yes,” replied Kylo. “The restaurant’s packed and there’s a Christmas sing-song around the fake fire. You’d hate it.”  
“So it’s just you, me and the over-priced, under-fast wifi.”  
“Yep. Could be worse.” Kylo grabbed a sandwich, kicked off his shoes and sat on the bed.  
“How!”  
“The hotel staff are snowed in but they’re _at work._ What’s on TV?”  
“Nothing I want to watch,” replied Armitage. “Can you think of anything else to take my mind off our current misery.”  
“Oh?” Kylo put his sandwich back on the tray and stroked Armitage’s hair. “I suggest a shower and a massage for starters, then we’ll see where that goes.”  
Armitage smiled at Kylo. “That sounds like a good way to get to your favourite place.”

 

Morning dawned with muffled silence from the nearby eight-lane motorway. Kylo got up to make instant coffee with the tiny kettle on the shelf. Armitage woke up with Kylo clattering a plastic tray at him.  
“Morning, made you breakfast in bed. Well, I mean I ordered us breakfast trays when I checked in.”  
“Oh jeez!” Armitage burrowed deeper into the bedclothes. “I can’t eat yet.”  
“But there’s cocoa-pops! Look, they come in a cute little bowl with its own tiny milk thing!”  
Armitage smiled. “Just coffee. Thanks anyway.”  
“You can’t take over the world on _just coffee,”_ said Kylo. “Especially this coffee. Eat.”  
“No, really.” Armitage got out of bed, took the coffee cup from the tray and went into the bathroom. Kylo stirred the cocoa-pops around in the bowl and pulled out the item he’d hidden under the cereal, slipping it into the pocket of his bag for later. Armitage emerged from the bathroom and picked up the flimsy bowl and inadequate plastic spoon.  
“I bet these are disgusting,” he said, and scooped up a spoonful. Kylo watched him eat the lot. “We better get ready to hit the road. I assume it has been cleared and gritted by now.”

More snow had fallen overnight and a bright white sun in a perfect blue sky made the snow sparkle. The car had a good five inch covering and the car park was blocked by poorly positioned cars. Kylo sighed and took a walk to the main services, feet gripping on fresh, sticky snow but slipping on ice compacted by tyres. The concrete building was busy with people who had been smart enough to get off the motorway, and he stepped around groups who had camped out overnight on the floor. Upstairs, a long footbridge spanned both sides of the motorway and he regarded it with a scowl. Moving smartly up one side of the carriageway came a pair of snowploughs in formation, the first throwing snow for the second to clear, followed by a gritter. All three vehicles were impeded by stranded cars. 

On his way back, Kylo looked at the fresh snow and had an idea. He retrieved the snow shovel he had stowed in the back of the car and crunched his way around to the back of the hotel where their window looked out over a fresh, white blanket. He began to stamp and shovel snow.

An hour later, sweating from the exertion and with ice blocks for feet, Kylo put the shovel away and went back up to the room. Armitage was busy on his laptop.  
“Looks like we’ll be here a while,” he said. “Phasma says Unamo’s on the camera network and there’s nothing moving yet. We should wait until she tells us we have a clear route home.”  
“Yeah, I saw one lane being cleared. At least the snow’s pretty. Have you looked out the window?”  
Armitage frowned. “It’s snow. It’s white and cold and boring.”  
“But look,” pleaded Kylo. “It’s sparkly and pretty!”  
“Ugh, well if it will make you happy, I will look out of the stupid window.” 

Armitage got up and Kylo held the flimsy curtain aside. Through grimy security glass, Armitage read the words Kylo had stamped and kicked into the snow.  
_MARRY ME_  
_NAPIZRAM_

Armitage frowned. “Napizram? Are you using medication as pet names now?”  
“Well I had to write it backwards because I finished on _me_ and by the time I realised what I’d done it was too late to fix it.”  
Armitage still stared out of the window. Kylo dropped to his knee and took Armitage’s hand.  
“Well? Will you?”  
“Uh?”  
“I’m sorry I’m not proposing over champagne breakfast under palm trees. Will you marry me, Armitage?”  
Armitage stared at Kylo. Kylo reached into the pocket of his bag and pulled out the ring he’d been saving and held it up. A smile slowly illuminated Armitage’s face as he finally understood the sight of Kylo on his knee holding up a ring, eyebrows raised, eyes wide open and and lips sucked between his teeth. He splayed his fingers for Kylo to slip on the ring.  
“Yes,” he said. “Yes I will.”


End file.
